


Love is Supposed to be Easier Than This

by lunesque (Moriavis)



Category: Kyou Kara Maou!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-20
Updated: 2007-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-12 10:41:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/124031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/lunesque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shori has issues.  Conrad loves him anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The air was misty, humid and heavy in Shori's throat as he sat by the window, watching the reconstruction of Blood Pledge Castle. His memory of the day before was somewhat obscured—all he could really remember was the intense power welling up in him, the satisfaction of gaining enough strength to rival any of the mazoku in the castle, the desire to keep his younger brother from harm, and his mother, of all things. Shori sighed as his eyes drifted toward the builders once more, ashamed that he had so easily lost control over his majutsu. Yuuri might have forgiven him, and Shori was grateful for that, but there was a large part of him disgusted with his weakness. After all, according to the stories he'd heard, Yuuri had only used his powers for the good of those who had been wronged—Yuuri hadn't gone mad from the strength of his gifts as Shori had. Shori brooded and stared out the window; the stormy, wicked-looking sky above Shinou's temple mirrored his dark mood.

Shori heard the door open and turned toward the entrance, half expecting Greta to appear and drag him out with the others. Instead of the human girl, however, Shori's eyes caught on a beige uniform and calm, assessing brown eyes. Shori scowled, defensively crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes?" he asked cautiously; although his animosity toward Weller had cooled a little since their assault on Shinou's temple to find the truth behind the seals on the forbidden boxes, he still found himself uncomfortable and resentful every time he saw Conrad. After all, Conrad had no magic whatsoever, but he still had a place by Yuuri's side, while Shori could do nothing but watch as his younger brother became someone he wasn't even sure he knew.

"I came to see how you were doing," Conrad said, unperturbed by Shori's abruptness. "You seemed all right at breakfast, but appearances can be deceiving."

Shori shot Conrad a narrow glare. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Conrad inclined his head, acknowledging that Shori had a point. Shori turned back to the window, looked at the damaged wing of the castle, and shook his head. "I still can't believe I did that. That I lost control."

"No one blames you, Shori," Conrad said.

"I don't care about that," Shori snapped. Conrad watched him silently for a long moment, and Shori sighed. "I could have hurt him. I would have hurt him then, if it could have kept him safe in the future." Having said a bit more than he intended, Shori shut his mouth, gritting his teeth against any more conversation.

Conrad came to his side and stared out the window. "His Majesty has already forgiven you."

Shori barked a bitter laugh. "He forgives too easily."

There was another silence between the two of them. Shori was about to ask what Conrad was still doing there when the other man spoke. "He trusts so implicitly that you feel as though you don't deserve it."

"Sometimes," Shori admitted.

"It is part of what makes him such a good king, that ability to forgive." Conrad took a breath. "I believe that it is our duty to strive for his ideals. It's easy to be kind. It's easy to care. It's hard to forgive yourself."

Shori scoffed, cutting his eyes to the side to look at Conrad. "What would you know about it?" The embers of his resentment flared up again. "You're always by his side. You're allowed to protect him."

Conrad smiled, a fleeting twist of his lips. "He forgives too easily," Conrad answered softly, and took a step back. "We're almost ready to leave for the temple. Greta wishes to see us off." He inclined his head and was gone. Shori scowled after him, although Conrad could not see his expression, and wondered why he felt as though he were missing something.

*

" _What_?" Shori exclaimed—he was quite certain he'd heard incorrectly. "You aren't still seriously thinking of going through with this!" Yuuri was giving him the stubborn look that meant he _had_ heard exactly that. "It's too dangerous!" he insisted, and looked around the room for any sort of back up. The shrine maidens were too busy with their prayers to keep their attention on anything but the boxes, the friend of his brother was looking carefully concerned (not concerned enough, in Shori's opinion), Gwendal was watching him suspiciously (but then, Gwendal always looked suspicious) and—

"You must _trust_ His Majesty and His Highness!" Gunter was insisting, trying to placate Shori. Shori didn't find his blind faith the least bit reassuring. He wanted to shout that Yuuri was only fifteen, that he was still a _child_. He needed to be protected, not led to the slaughter.

"Murata wouldn't do anything to hurt me!" Yuuri agreed. "I trust him. Besides, I'm the king. This is my responsibility."

Shori heaved an angry sigh and turned to Conrad. "And you? What do you think?" He continued without waiting for a response. "You helped me get into the temple so we could find out what was really going on. Everyone can see those boxes are dangerous. We need to keep him away from them. Find some other way."

"I share your concern," Conrad replied thoughtfully. "However, I have faith in His Majesty, and follow his will." His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword. "We will keep him safe."

He felt a flush of anger creeping up the back of his neck. "Fine!" he spat, and folded his arms over his chest. He didn't care that Yuuri was looking at him in disappointment (well, he did, but his precious younger brother's safety was a much more pressing concern.) "Let's do this as quickly as possible."

Yuuri took a deep breath and faced the boxes. After a long moment, Yuuri turned away and gave them a firm look.

Shori watched Yuuri carefully—as a concerned older brother, it was the least he could do. "Yuuri."

Yuuri broke into a helpless grin and scratched the back of his head. "So… what am I supposed to do?"

Shori blinked, and let out an exasperated noise. "Huh? What were you planning on doing, not even knowing how it's done?'

Yuuri winced. "Well…"

Murata shook his head. "Now, now…" He turned to Gunter and gently transferred Ulrike into Gunter's arms. "Excuse me a bit."

Ulrike continued to watch Murata with worried eyes, and Gunter squeezed her gently. "It's all right. If we let His Majesty and His Highness handle things, it'll turn out well for sure."

Murata went to Yuuri's side. "The procedure isn't that complicated."

Yuuri frowned, confused, and Shori fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Murata?'

"Use your maryoku to compress the barrier that Ulrike and the others put up."

Yuuri nodded. "So in other words, we're shoving everything that came out of the box back in?"

"Right," Murata agreed. "It's like shoving futons back in the closet they're spilling out of and then quickly slamming the door shut."

Yuuri made a face. "That makes it easy to understand, but that analogy feels too much like housekeeping."

Murata ignored Yuuri as he continued. "Anyway, while Soushu is being held down, we again surround him with a barrier from above, just like wrapping things in a piece of cloth."

Yuuri sighed. "We're not wrapping gifts, either…"

"Even if we can't completely destroy Soushu, we can at least keep him trapped for another several thousand years," Murata finished.

Yuuri chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "Right. But, you know, this doesn't seem like a permanent solution."

Murata laughed. "Do you think you can defeat Soushu, whom even Shinou could not defeat back then?"

Yuuri hesitated, "Well…"

Murata shrugged. "Besides, even Morgif, who fought together with Shinou, is no longer as powerful as he was back then." Morgif groaned a loud protest.

"But still…"

Shori took a step forward. "Yuuri, don't push yourself too much. If there's no other way, then you should focus on doing that for now. Don't bite off more than you can chew."  
Murata kept his eyes on Yuuri. "Shibuya. Even if the day comes when the seal weakens again, the Maou of that era will take care of it somehow."

"So you're saying that we shouldn't push it and let this chance go by. All right. I'll just do everything I can right now." Yuuri walked up to the field raising his hands, and the boxes sparked with threat. Shori could feel the power focusing, tingling along his skin. There was a sharp, crackling sound and Yuuri stumbled away from the boxes, palms stung by the flood of the boxes' energy.

"Yuuri!" Shori exclaimed, moving forward instinctively to support his brother.

"Shori!" Conrad said sternly, and Shori paused, looking back. "Shori. Leave everything to Yuuri."

"But…" Shori trailed off at the firm look in Conrad's eyes. He knew intellectually that Yuuri was a king and that all of this was his duty, but he couldn't help the panic he felt at the thought of Yuuri being hurt. He thought that Conrad and Wolfram, of them all, would understand, but they were both strangely calm about the entire proceedings.

"Take your time and stay calm. Concentrate," Murata was saying to Yuuri.

Shori nodded and took a deep breath. "Keep it up, Yuu-chan. And your friend, too. If only I knew how to use maryoku properly…" Shori hated feeling so helpless, hated the fact that the most he could do was cheer them on from the sidelines. He had been given his power for a reason, and his sheer uselessness only heightened his frustration more.

Gwendal darted a look behind him as Conrad shifted restlessly. "Stay where you are, Conrad. It's dangerous for us to approach the boxes."

Conrad glanced at Gwendal, giving him a slight nod. "Yes, I know that."

The only thing Shori could think about was how horrible the entire situation was—It was so easy to see. _Forbidden boxes_! Two of the keys in the same room! A miasma of energy that was so evil it was _visible_! In his humble opinion, you didn't need to be a genius to know something bad was going on.

Yuuri took a breath and eased forward, pressing Soushu's energy back. "Okay. A bit more. Just… a bit more…"

There was a sudden clash of metal behind them, and both Yuuri and Shori turned at the sound to see Conrad parrying Wolfram's thrust. "What?" Yuuri called out in shock. "Wolfram?"

Murata shouted, "Watch out! Shibuya!"

Shori ripped his eyes away from Conrad and Wolfram just in time to see Yuuri lose control. The murk of the boxes swelled and grew heavy, pushing Yuuri back yet again.

Conrad blocked another blow from Wolfram. "What has happened to you, Wolfram? Come to your senses!" Wolfram ignored him, eyes dark and rimmed red with exhaustion as he struck once more.

"What is he doing?" Shori asked.

Gunter stared at Wolfram and Conrad. "Wolfram…"

Gwendal frowned, forehead wrinkling in disbelief. "Impossible. Don't tell me that you've been possessed by the miasma, Wolfram."

Ulrike shook her head, horrified and watching Wolfram helplessly. "This can't be…"

Yuuri looked back again. "Wolfram… What's going on?" The boxes gained in strength abruptly and sent Yuuri flying.

"Yuuri!" Shori shouted as he ran to his brother. He kneeled next to Yuuri, pressing a hand to his brother's back. The miasma flared again, and he glared at Murata. "Hey! Friend of my brother! What's the meaning of this?!"

Murata ignored Shori, staring into the nexus of energy as a figure began to appear. Softly, he said, "So it really was you… "

Shori peered at the boxes. After a long moment, he murmured, "Someone's there."

Wolfram rushed at Conrad, pushing him off his feet. Immediately after he disarmed his brother, Wolfram dropped his sword and stood silently in place, as though he were a marionette with its strings cut.

Yuuri pulled himself to his feet, stepping away from Shori. "Wolfram!"

"Was he being manipulated by someone?" Shori asked.

Murata leapt to his feet just as the miasma flared brightly, the shockwave of the energy rolling through the room. Shori wrapped his arms around Yuuri and grunted as he skidded across the floor, his only thought to keep his brother uninjured. They came to a stop as they hit a wall, and Shori squinted into the light. The light finally died, and Shori was surprised to discover that the only person who remained standing during the onslaught was Wolfram. He felt almost nauseous with terror. It was hard to believe that they were all so easily defeated, especially after Weller had promised so firmly to keep his brother safe.

The figure Shori had seen at the nexus of box energy alighted onto the stairs. It was as substantial as a shadow. At this point, Shori was nearly convinced that nothing that occurred in this world, and more specifically, this temple, would surprise him.

Then the shadow talked. "It has been a long time. I have been awaiting this moment for so long." Yuuri pulled away from Shori as they stared at the shadowy figure. "Now. It is time for my revival. Come to me, O keys."

A gesture, and tendrils of darkness spilled from the man's hand, darting to Conrad and wrapping around him securely. Shori tensed, torn between wanting to help and needing to keep Yuuri safe.

"Conrad!" Yuuri shouted.

The shadowed man continued quietly, "You, who have inherited the Weller blood…" He raised his other hand, and looked at Gwendal. "You, who have inherited the Voltaire blood…" Darkness slid from his hand to rope tightly around Gwendal.

Shori grabbed Yuuri's arm, ignoring the way Yuuri tugged frantically against his grip. "Gwendal! Let them go, you bastard!"

"Yuuri!" Conrad cried out in warning, but Yuuri ignored him as well, pulling free of Shori and reaching out to disrupt the vespers that trapped his retainers. The darkness sizzled and snapped, and Yuuri cried out in surprise.

"Your Majesty!" Gunter shouted, and pulled his sword from its sheath in rage, running toward the man who had dared harm his king. "I will not allow this madness!" Gunter swung his sword in a wide arc, and grunted as the blade impacted on nothing and pushed him back.

"You dare wield your sword against your true master?" the man asked mildly.

"What?!" Gunter asked. Shori rested his hand on Yuuri's shoulder, his hold tightening as the man looked around the room.

"The time has come. Abide by your pledges and give me the keys that I entrusted to you."

Yuuri pulled away from Shori and took a step closer. "Conrad!"

Conrad's eyes were dark with worry as he turned toward Yuuri and shouted, "No, your majesty!"

Shori scrambled to his feet and hurried after Yuuri, who had ignored Conrad's plea and was still trying to save them. "Stay back!" Gwendal demanded, struggling against his bonds, and Yuuri stopped in his tracks.  
"But…"

"Now!" the man gestured once more. Shori's heart climbed into his throat as they began to yelled out in pain. He stumbled the few steps to his brother, yanking him backward.

"Stop!" Yuuri screamed, struggling against Shori. Shori gritted his teeth and hung on, wondering when his brother had gotten so strong, the only thought in his mind to keep Yuuri safe. He felt a sharp pang of worry as the shine of the two keys vanished into their boxes, wondering what that would do to Conrad and Gwendal and hoping against hope that they still had the opportunity to end it all.

Murata hadn't moved throughout the entire ordeal, and Shori noted that and filed it into the back of his head to think about later His ears still rang from the explosive energy of the boxes and the desperate yells of his brother and his injured vassals.

Power was flooding into their enemy. "The End of the Wind and the End of the Land have been opened." He said. "That's two of them." He released Conrad and Gwendal without another thought. "Now, come! You, who have inherited the Bielefelt blood…"

Yuuri twisted to look at Wolfram and yanked hard against Shori's hands, almost managing to free himself once more. "Wolfram!"

"Yuuri!" Shori cried desperately.

"Let go, Shori!" Yuuri begged.

Shori shook his head. "No! There's no way you can defeat him!" Shori lost his train of thought as he watched Wolfram make his way over to the boxes.

"Good work, my puppet. Your role is over as well." Yuuri screamed Wolfram's name as the man reached over and pulled out Wolfram's heart with almost no effort at all, black steam pouring from the point of contact. The man glanced at it before sending it to the third box. "That makes three." The man said almost conversationally, and began to take a clear form. Shori could see the blond hair and ice blue eyes, and he frowned, almost positive he had seen this man before. "In the Frozen Soil of Hellfire has also been opened." They all stared hopelessly at him.

"Shinou…" Murata whispered, and Yuuri twitched. Shori remembered the portraits he'd seen in the halls of Blood Pledge Castle, and he inhaled sharply.

"Your Majesty Shinou…" Ulrike said in a tremulous, disbelieving voice.

"We meet again at last, my Great Sage," Shinou said to Murata. "Will you not rejoice now that we've finally been reunited after several thousand years?"

"So it really was you," Murata murmured, unperturbed at the fact that a literal ghost from his past was standing before him.

"It's good that we can speak directly to each other," Shinou said fondly, and looked down at his hand. "Oh. I'm still not whole. The last one is… Erhard."

He glided toward Yuuri, and Shori pulled his younger brother back, eyes firmly on Shinou as he retreated. ""Stay back." He warned. Morgif groaned an angry sound in agreement.

Shinou looked at Morgif as he advanced. "Have you forgotten your true master as well, Morgif?"

Morgif blinked and wailed in confusion. Shori and Yuuri withdrew two more steps as Shinou raised his hand. Shori was already calculating the space between them multiplied by how fast Shinou attacked against their tactical retreat minus Yuuri's absolute refusal to leave anyone behind when Conrad and Gwendal planted themselves solidly in front of them as a barrier against Shinou.

"Conrad!" Yuuri cried desperately. "Gwendal!"

Shinou eyed the two of them coldly. "I no longer need the two of you." He waved his hand and shoved them out of his way with his magic. "The one I need is…" Shinou fixed his eyes on Yuuri once more and stalked forward.

"Now!" Murata shouted. "Josak!"

Josak pushed through the shrine doors and ran forward, passing Yuuri and Shori. Shori's jaw dropped. " Leave it to me!" Josak somersaulted through the air and landed on a tile that sank beneath his weight. Shori blinked as water cascaded around Shinou.

"What's going on?" Yuuri asked blankly.

"Even he won't be able to get out of that barrier so quickly!" Murata announced. "Hurry up and run!" Shori prodded his brother, acknowledging the opportunity that Murata had given them, even if he didn't trust him.

"But…" Yuuri hesitated.

Shori was tempted to throw Yuuri over his shoulder, but settled for a scowl instead. "Just do as your friend says for now!" He yanked at Yuuri again, and breathed a sigh of relief as Yuuri finally followed him He had to get Yuuri to safety. Everything else could wait.

*

It wasn't until they were all safely back at Blood Pledge Castle that everything began to sink in. They had all almost died. Wolfram's heart had stopped. They had failed miserably, and one of their own had paid the ultimate price.

Greta had planted herself at Wolfram's bedside, searching his face for any sign of life with worried and tearful eyes. They were all gathered anxiously, and Shori was alternately angry at his own weakness and relieved that he wasn't spending this stressful time alone. He couldn't understand why they were all here—it only made sense for a couple of people to be watching Wolfram. The rest of them needed to think about a plan regarding Shinou, because as long as he was around, Yuuri was still in danger.

He looked over at Conrad, and scoffed. Conrad glanced at him warily. "You said you'd protect him," Shori said bitterly. "You can't even protect your own brother. It was stupid of me to think you people were strong enough to rely on."

"That isn't fair, Shori," Yuuri protested, tearing his eyes from Wolfram long enough to give Shori a disappointed glance. "Conrad and everyone have always protected me. It's my fault this happened…" He looked at Wolfram. "If I could have held out against Shinou and the boxes, it would've been okay."

Yuuri stopped talking as Gisela entered the room. She bowed and took a place at Wolfram's side. "I got here as soon as I could," she said, and closed her eyes, placing her hands over Wolfram's heart as she began to glow. Dark energy sparked off of Wolfram's body, and Gisela winced, turning miserable eyes to Yuuri. "I can't heal him. There's a dark aura around him that won't allow me to use my maryoku. I'm sorry."

Greta's bottom lip trembled, and Yuuri hugged her close, fighting his own sadness.

Just then, Anissina breezed in. "The solution is simple, Your Majesty," Anissina said smoothly, and Yuuri gave her a perplexed look. "We'll put him into suspended animation. I guarantee there won't be any lasting harm, and he'll remain the same until we figure out how to cure him. Gunter's quite familiar with the device I'm speaking of." Anissina frowned as she turned to Gwendal. "But what's wrong with your eye?" She grabbed Gwendal's face and turned it as she stared at him. "Ah, yes, you were a key. So I take it that this means…" She let go of Gwendal's chin and turned to prod at Conrad's arm. Shori felt a flash of guilt as he realized that he hadn't even noticed their handicaps. "I suppose there's nothing I can do about any of this yet," Anissina decided with a small sigh. "But make sure you're available for tests! I know I can make a wonderful invention that can assist you."

Conrad shook his head, his eyes remaining fixed on Wolfram's body. Gwendal took a measured step away from her.

"Conrad?" Yuuri said hesitantly, and Conrad straightened, waiting for him to continue. "Did you know he was a key?"

Conrad frowned and remained silent. Shori narrowed his eyes.

"It's my fault," Celi said with a sigh, brushing back strands of Wolfram's hair from his forehead. "When I discovered that both Conrad and Gwendal were keys, I thought that there might be a chance Wolfram was one as well. I thought that it would be a coincidence."

"It wasn't a coincidence," Murata stated. "The three keys had been decided a long time ago."

"Then… then why didn't anyone say anything?" Yuuri wondered. "If everyone knew he was a key, then why…?"

"Wolfram didn't seem to realize that he was a key," Celi said, "and I thought that it would be better if he never knew…" She sniffled delicately and brushed tears from her cheeks.

"I think you should tell us the truth now, friend of my brother," Shori said, fixing his eyes on Murata. "I'm tired of all these omissions and half-truths."

Murata turned his head toward Yuuri, his glasses glinting in the torchlight.

"I want to know the truth as well, Murata." Yuuri agreed. "Please."

Murata sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. He spoke calmly and with the barest of inflections. "It was peaceful for a very long time, but the threat of war always loomed over us. There was a period of time when war with the humans seemed more of a possibility than ever before. Shinou was ill and unable to continue several of his duties." Murata clasped his hands behind his back. "I discovered that Shinou had been infected with Soushu's dark energies, and that one day, Shinou would become like the very enemy we had struggled so hard to win against. So we came up with a plan to keep Shinou's soul safe and protected in the shrine, and we would separate the boxes in order to prevent Shinou's possession from being completed. That's why one of the boxes was sent to earth. But now that we have all four boxes assembled, it appears that Soushu's power has taken over Shinou completely."

"If that's true," Yuuri said, "then our enemy is Shinou himself."

"It's not completely hopeless," Shori said. "He only got three keys. He isn't omnipotent—we can still win."

"Your Majesty," Gunter said softly, "I did find something. If you would wait a moment?" Gunter left the room; when he came back, he was carrying a small leather-bound book. "I found this in a hidden compartment in the library," he confessed. "From what I've read so far, I believe it might be the journal of Erhard von Wincott. It might provide information we could use against Shinou."

"Good," Yuuri nodded vigorously and stood. "I want to go fight him right now! There's too much at stake to wait around for him to strike first!"

Conrad stepped forward. "I will go with you."

Josak smirked at Yuuri and crossed his arms. "I'm going, too. I just can't pass up the opportunity to kick Shinou's ass."

Shori found Josak's enthusiasm infectious. On one hand, his brother would be going directly into certain danger, again. On the other, now that they knew what they were facing, the outcome could potentially be much better. However, Gwendal's sight was now impaired, and Conrad's arm was altogether useless. No matter which way you looked at it, it was all a mess. "Yuu-chan, I want to go, too."

"Shori?" Yuuri said, a small frown tilting the corners of his mouth down. "I don't think that'll be a good idea. You can't control your magic, and you can't fight."

"I'm not completely useless!" Shori insisted, feeling as though he were begging.

"I want you to stay here, Shori. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay!" Shori glared at Yuuri and gestured toward Conrad and Gwendal. "You're letting them go! I'm not injured—I want to go, too."

"It's my decision, Shori," Yuuri declared. "I want you here. Please."

Shori heaved out an angry breath and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "I'll tell Mom," he said mulishly. It was the prerogative of an older brother—if you weren't allowed to do what you wanted; at the very least you could make your brother's life difficult at home.

Yuuri blanched and grimaced. "That's not fair!" He shook his head. "Fine, then. You stay here, and you can tell Mom whatever you want."

Shori scowled. Gwendal gave Yuuri a small nod and left the room without a word.

Murata gave Yuuri a considering look. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course!" Yuuri said, nodding firmly. "I don't care if the one there is Soushu or Shinou… maybe this way I can save Wolfram. No." His eyes darkened, and he continued seriously, "I will definitely save Wolfram."

Gisela smiled warmly at the king's determination, bowed to him, and left with Gunter.

Anissina planted her hands on her hips. "We should get Wolfram in place. Any volunteers?"

"I got him," Josak announced. Conrad looked wistfully at his brother as Josak picked him up. He slipped into his usual position just behind Yuuri and followed them out of the room.

Shori sighed and ran a hand through his hair, cutting his eyes to the side to look at Ulrike, who was watching him serenely. He had forgotten she was even in the room.

Ulrike stood and folded her hands before her. "I believe you can regain control over your Maryoku, Shori-sama. Please allow me to help you."

Shori stared at her. "If it will allow me to protect Yuuri." He paused. "Please."

Ulrike smiled. "I'm a little tired right now. Could I rest for a bit before we begin?" Shori remembered that she and the other shrine maidens had been the ones keeping the boxes under control for so long in the first place and nodded quickly, embarrassed at his thoughtlessness.

"If you'll excuse me," he fumbled for the words and made a quick escape.

*

Shori found himself pacing the length of his room, searching for a way to burn his nervous energy. He didn't trust himself to practice with his maryoku without supervision, so that was out until Ulrike felt strong enough. Everyone seemed to be in a flurry of activity, either preparing for the second trip to Shinou's temple or struggling with the upkeep in the middle of everything. He felt bored, useless, and weak, as he'd felt almost the entire time he'd been here in his brother's world. It didn't work to make his mood any better.

There was a knock at the door. Shori didn't bother granting entrance. Instead of Ulrike, whom he'd been expecting, it was Conrad again. Shori didn't appreciate the mirroring circumstances from earlier that morning. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Conrad remained silent and watched Shori pace until Shori sighed and faced the soldier. "What?"

Conrad looked out the window. "They're putting Wolfram into suspended animation. In this state, I'm not exactly helpful."

Shori gave Conrad an exasperated look. "And yet, look who gets to stay behind."

Conrad took a breath and paused. After a long moment, he exhaled. "I just wanted to say—"

"I'm not interested in what you have to say," Shori said, and tossed himself into an armchair next to the fireplace.

"We will protect him for you," Conrad stated softly.

Shori ignored Conrad's words. "Don't say it again. I don't want you to have another opportunity to lie." Conrad lowered his head. Conrad's acceptance of Shori's words made him want to lash out even more. "You're a coward, Conrad," Shori said. Conrad's head whipped up, and Shori was pleased at the mixed emotion etched in his features. "I think you hide behind your duty and do everything Yuuri says because you're afraid of contesting him when he's wrong. It's like you can't bear to disagree with him. That's not bravery or loyalty. It's just…" Shori shook his head.

"Maybe you're right." Conrad walked over to him. "Does that change anything?"

Shori shrugged. "Not really."

"Yuuri only wants to keep you safe," Conrad said.

"That isn't his job," Shori snapped. "I should be keeping _him_ safe. You could all die, and I'd be stuck here at this castle waiting to be murdered."

"In which case, I would regret it if I didn't do this."

Shori hadn't realized that Conrad was so close until Conrad hooked his fingers beneath Shori's jaw, tilted his head up, and kissed him.

It lasted exactly six beats. Shori could count it because his heart thudded in his ears exactly six times. The rim of his glasses pressed into his cheek, and he could see Conrad's eyelashes because his eyes hadn't closed. Conrad's mouth was warm and a little chapped, and then Shori pulled away.

"What did you do that for?" Shori asked, and Conrad just watched him calmly.

"Was that brave enough for you?" Conrad asked quietly. "Or should I be braver?"

Shori was flushed, light-headed and breathless: all incipient signs of a panic attack. He pushed Conrad away and bolted out of the chair. "I can't believe you."

"I apologize," Conrad said. "I know your world has certain—"

Shori narrowed his eyes and looked defiantly at Conrad. "I'm not Yuuri."

Conrad blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Just… just because you can't have him," Shori's voice wavered, "…and he's preoccupied with Wolfram, that doesn't mean I can be some sort of… of convenient substitute."

Conrad took a step back and he tilted his head, studying Shori. "I think you've misunderstood."

"What is there to understand?" Shori asked. "You _obviously_ don't go from arguing to… to _that_ unless there's a reason."

Conrad's eyes warmed. "I have one."

"A good reason," Shori amended, taking another step back. The longer Conrad spent looking at him like that, the younger he felt. It was making his skin crawl. They stared at each other for a while, neither making a move to diffuse the tension. Eventually, Conrad inclined his head politely and headed for the door.

Shori's heart leapt and he took a step forward. "Conrad."

Conrad turned around so fast that his scabbard hit him in the back of the knee. "Yes?"

The words stuck in his throat. "Keep him safe for me."

An unreadable emotion flickered over Conrad's face, and he nodded once before leaving.

*

By the time Ulrike showed up for his lessons, Shori had almost convinced himself that the kiss was a product over his overtired and extraordinary imagination, and that's all there was to it. Then he got irritated at himself for thinking that he was deluded when he knew very well that if anyone were having issues, it was obviously Conrad Weller, _not_ Shori Shibuya.

He struggled for control over his maryoku, pausing only once when he watched Yuuri leave for Shinou's temple. "How fast can this be done?" he asked Ulrike.

"It can't be rushed, Shori-sama," Ulrike said gently. "You must be calm." Shori, however, didn't see that happening fast enough to suit him. He was a genius—he was going to be the youngest governor in years; he should be able to do something as basic as move water out of the basin in front of him. "Do you think Shinou is really against us?" Ulrike asked.

Shori stared out the window as he thought, and finally shrugged. "I don't know what I could say about Shinou, but I don't trust the friend of my brother at all."

*

Several hours of intensive study later, Shori was able to manipulate the water a little, although it wasn't near enough to keep up with his exacting standards and basically useless if he were to attempt to save Yuuri with his maryoku. He put his hands in front of him, concentrating his will and forming shapes in the liquid.

The sound of horses clattered into the courtyard, and Ulrike got up to look out the window. She gasped, and Shori lost his concentration, the water spilling back into the bowl.

"What is it?" he asked.

"His Majesty and His Highness aren't with them!" Ulrike wrung her hands. "I must find out what happened!"

Yu-chan and his friend were… Shori blinked, and several questions that had been bugging him since the whole situation began fell into place. He held out a hand to prevent her from leaving. "You can't go. I need you to practice."

"But His Majesty is—"

"I know that!" Shori exclaimed. "But we—I can't do anything for him if he's already gone! I need to be stronger! I need to save him. I can't do this without you. I need to master my maryoku." He looked down at the basin, hands clenching in frustration. "Am I the only one who thinks what's going on isn't normal?"

"What do you mean?' Ulrike asked.

"Haven't you ever wondered about any of this?" Shori sighed. "I was suspicious from the beginning. Why was Yuuri, of all people, chosen to be the maou of this kingdom? And the forbidden boxes. They were all lost for _thousands_ of years, and in _months_ Yuuri managed to rediscover _all_ of them?" He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Yuuri's best friend just happens to be the reincarnation of the Great Sage?" He looked at Ulrike as he delivered his final point. "It wasn't a coincidence that Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram were keys. Shinou has betrayed all of you, and I'd bet his Great Sage knew every step of the way. You are all so used to slavishly following his orders that you don't even notice an obvious set-up." He turned back to the basin and pummeled the water with his maryoku.

"I still believe in Shinou," Ulrike said, squeezing her hands together so tightly her knuckles turned white. "I've been at his temple for so long, and he has always spoken to me with a kind voice."

"Believe in him all you want, it doesn't change the fact that he's responsible for all of this. I _must_ save Yuuri." He thought of Conrad and his quiet declaration to protect Yuuri. The anger he expected didn't come, just a leaden disappointment that lined his stomach and made him feel ill.

Shori simply didn't know what had happened, and now he didn't have the luxury of the time to find out. He felt a sudden kinship with the supporting characters of the anime his friends always watched—it was so difficult living off-screen; you missed far too much of the story.

*

It was dark when Shori finally mastered his maryoku. The castle had been in an uproar all day, with the keys being returned to their owners and Wolfram waking up (the best news that he'd heard), and the dolls reappearing around the kingdom. It was only a matter of time until they made their way to Blood Pledge Castle. He looked out the window and saw a sea of darkness marching toward them. Shori hated those dolls. They were creepy as all hell. He wondered how Bob and his parents were doing—if the dolls were showing up in Shinma koku again, there was a good chance they were also coming through the lake.

"I've got it," he told Ulrike. "You should rest."

Ulrike raised a hand to her forehead and swayed. Shori hurried to her side. "Ulrike!"

"I'm all right," she said. "We need to continue."

"I think I understand," Shori comforted her. "I can do this." He led her to the bed and left the room to find Gwendal. He would not be left behind this time. He found Gwendal, Conrad, Wolfram, Huber, and Josak in the war room, arguing about how they were going to manage the rescue operation.

"Excuse me," he said, and Gwendal glanced at him. "Ulrike and I can help get you to Shinou's temple."

"Yuuri wanted you to stay out of harm's way," Conrad protested.

Shori gave Conrad a level look. "I've mastered my maryoku, and my brother has been possessed by Shinou. I'm not useless, and I have a right to be there by his side." He turned to Gwendal. "Now that you three are back to normal, there's no reason why we shouldn't easily make it to the temple. I _swear_ I can do this."

Josak shrugged. "It would be useful to have another person."

Conrad looked like he wanted to protest again, but sighed instead. "His maryoku is powerful," he agreed.

Gwendal steepled his fingers in front of him. "I'm listening."

Shori nodded. "All right. Ulrike and I aren't very good at riding, so we'll need a carriage. I was thinking about a bridge…"


	2. Chapter 2

Shori had absolutely no idea how people managed to stay so calm before a battle. His palms were sweaty, his stomach was cramped, and he'd cleaned his glasses five times in the last three minutes. The women of the castle were shutting all the doors against the encroaching dolls and the soldiers were all on standby, but the next part of the plan weighed heavily on him and his newfound control over his maryoku.

"Are you ready?" Conrad asked him. He stopped at Shori's side and watched the scene before them. Soldiers all around them were pulling out their swords and readying themselves against the dolls. Shori estimated that he probably had about two minutes before they were reached and the battle began.

"After this, we need to talk," He said to Conrad. This was a bad time to mention it, considering that he didn't even really know how he felt about Conrad in the first place and probably wouldn't have made plans to confront any of it if he weren't facing almost certain death, but he couldn't retract the words once they'd slipped past his lips.

Conrad looked at him and nodded. "Yes."

Then it was time, and Shori allowed his power to well up inside of him and explode out. The dragons, he decided, were really much more aesthetically pleasing than the giant hand he had used before, and he felt a glow of pride as it all merged together to form the bridge they needed. After that, it was a blur of colors and sounds; it would have been overwhelming if he hadn't been focusing so completely on his maryoku. They made their way to the temple, dolls growing heavier in numbers and more difficult to defeat every step of the way.

Ulrike's maryoku flared out from her hands, and she called out, "Everyone! I'll hold them back. Go to the temple and find His Majesty!"

Conrad grabbed his arm and tugged him along, and if Shori hadn't been so grateful that he wasn't left behind, he would have been upset that Conrad thought he needed babysitting.

The first thing Shori felt when he saw Yuuri and Murata in the courtyard of Shinou's temple was pure relief. Yuuri wasn't injured. Everything would be fine.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram called out, and would have gone to him if Conrad hadn't stopped him.

"That isn't Yuuri, Wolfram," Conrad said.

"What did you do to my brother?" Shori asked Murata, his relief replaced by anger and fear.

Murata shrugged, his glasses hiding his eyes. "I only watched over him."

Shori took a step forward. "Give Yuuri back!"

"It's too late," Murata said softly. "It's Shinou's body now."

Wolfram shook his head frantically. "No, I don't believe this. Yuuri!"

Shinou raised his arm and Shori jumped forward just in time to activate a shield to protect them. It wasn't Yuuri, it was Shinou. All Shori had to remember was that distinction. It wasn't his brother he was going to hurt.

"Can you kill him?" Murata asked mildly, still perched on the rock behind Yuuri.

Shori's attack did absolutely nothing, and he stared at Shinou in a daze. "You're… Yuuri?"

Wolfram clenched his hands into fists. "Are you saying we have to kill Yuuri? I can't do it. I can't hurt him."

Murata laughed. "Then Shinou wins. He'll dominate the world."

"Then it doesn't matter who he is…" Gwendal pulled his sword.

"Big brother!" Wolfram protested. "We can't do this! It's Yuuri!"

"It must be done." Gwendal and Huber charged toward Shinou. Shinou smirked, their attacks bouncing harmlessly off of him. He sent them flying with a wave of his hand. Conrad stalked ahead and pulled his sword.

"Conrad!" both Shori and Wolfram yelled.

He continued to walk resolutely forward. "I'm thinking of Yuuri, and I know he would do this. He would put everyone's well-being ahead of his own. I'm not giving up. I'll get him back. For all of us."

Shinou frowned. "I don't think I like the way you're looking at me." The last unopened box floated behind him. "I'll show you something that will change that steadfast expression." He smiled. "What do you think would happen if this box was opened?"

Wolfram frowned. "We don't know what the key is for that."

"We don't," Shori responded. "But I think that _he_ does."

"The key for the fourth box," Shinou continued. "Is Lady Suzanna Julia." He clenched his hand above the box, his nails biting into his palm. Conrad froze. "This body is now the key." A small trickle of blood dripped down his fist, and they all watched helplessly as a ruby drop fell and hit the box.

There was an explosion of dark energy as Soushu's power was restored completely. When the dust had cleared, Shinou was still standing before them unharmed and now near-invincible. He smirked.

"Julia…" Conrad whispered, his face completely open in shock.

"This is what she died for?" Huber wondered.

Shori couldn't help but stare, silent and open-mouthed, at how well-planned this entire thing had been. If it hadn't involved his family, he might have been impressed. "You waited so long, and for what?"

At that moment, the pendant that Shori had grown used to seeing on Yuuri materialized on Shinou's chest and began to glow painfully bright. They all stared dumbly at it until they were distracted by a whistling sound above them. Shori jumped back in surprise as Gunter and Dacascos fell from the sky to land in front of them. "What the hell?" he gasped.

"Oh!" Dacascos wailed. "I thought I was going to die!"

"Gunter!" Wolfram cried. "Morgif! What about Morgif?"

"Morgif is.." Gunter looked up, and they all followed his eyes to the dark, threatening sword above them.

Shinou looked at Morgif, and Murata moved for the first time, jumping off his rock and watching Yuuri hopefully. "Now, Shibuya! Fufill the wish that Shinou has carried for the past 4,000 years! Please, Shibuya. Free him."

Shori blinked. "Am I the only one completely confused?" He was completely ignored as Shinou grasped Morgif.

Shinou stopped and shook his head, his forehead creasing in confusion. Slowly, his expression cleared. "You're right, Murata. I can't give up." He turned to look at Conrad and Wolfram, and smiled. "I'm sorry I worried you guys."

"Yuuri, you wimp!" Wolfram yelled, although it was clear in his eyes he was happy to see him, "You're so hard to keep track of! You should think about your poor fiancé when you're running around and getting possessed by ghosts!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Yuuri said apologetically.

"Yuu-chan," Shori said, and smiled along with the others in relief.

"Hey, Conrad, are you and Gwendal okay?" Yuuri asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Conrad answered.

Gwendal took a step forward and frowned. "Behind you… is that Shinou?"

Yuuri jumped back, and they all stared at the dark shadow behind him. The pendant was in the center of the cloud of darkness, intensely bright despite its surroundings.

"You were able to expel him?" Gwendal continued, and shot Yuuri an approving look.

"I think so," Yuuri said uncertainly. He turned to Murata. "Murata, what exactly _is_ Soushu anyhow? Will you tell me?"

Murata sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Even when we fought it, we weren't able to understand. Soushu is something that has the suffering and pain of the world. That's why it gets into people's hearts so easily, and why it's so hard to defeat. Shinou thought that if we could find a container for it, it might not—"

Shori frowned. "So, Yuuri was the holder?"

Murata shook his head. "No. Shinou's soul was what contained Soushu. Yuuri was chosen to be the one to accept Shinou's soul, and become the strongest Maou to ever rule Shinma koku."

Gwendal shook his head. "It seems that everything was planned from the very beginning."

"I wasn't sure if it was going to work, but…" Murata turned to Yuuri. "Shibuya, you have to save him."

Yuuri grinned. "I guess I can't let you down, can I?" Dolls filtered into the courtyard, but Shori ignored them as he stared at his brother.

"Shori!" Shori turned at the sound of his name just as Conrad destroyed a doll that had been about to attack him.

"I don't need you to protect me!" Shori yelled, startled.

"Then protect yourself!" Conrad answered, and cut down another enemy. Shori scowled and struck at two dolls with his maryoku, sending them crumbling to the ground. He managed to get three more before Yuuri made a triumphant sound and the dolls collapsed. Shori spared the mutilated dolls the barest of glances before looking back to his brother. Yuuri smiled at everyone, and Shori wondered if that meant it was over.

Shinou appeared before them, and Shori took a step back, bumping into Conrad, who placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Shinou smiled gratefully at Yuuri. "Thank you, Yuuri. I'm glad I chose you." Yuuri rubbed a bashful hand over his face as Shinou turned to Murata. "I gave you a lot of pain."

"I made a promise," Murata said with a smile. "It was my duty to fulfill your wishes. Now that it's over though, I can forget my memories as the Great Sage."

"If I'm reborn," Shinou said, "I have a feeling that we'll meet once again."

Murata gave him a respectful nod. "I can't watch over you anymore, but it would be nice." Shinou smiled at Murata and vanished. Murata looked out over the courtyard. "Where's Ulrike?"

"She was fighting—" Shori began, but was interrupted as Ulrike made her way into the entrance. She looked heartbroken.

"I'm here!" Ulrike called out, her voice strong despite her sad expression.

"Shibuya," Murata turned to Yuuri. "It's time for us to go."

"What?" Yuuri said uncertainly.

"Now that Shinou is gone," Ulrike replied, "This is the last chance we'll have to send you between dimensions." She raised her hands, closing her eyes in concentration. A large portal appeared.

"This is…" Yuuri looked around at his friends desperately.

"This is the last of his strength," Murata confirmed.

Shori took a breath as understanding struck him. "I see. It's thanks to Shinou's power that we can go between dimensions, and when that power disappears…"

"If we don't take this chance," Murata said. "We might never get back to earth."

"But!" Yuuri said. "What is… I mean, _how_ …?"

This is the last time, Shori thought, and glanced at Conrad, who was watching Yuuri. It looked like they wouldn't have that talk after all.

"Go, Yuuri!" Wolfram cried. "Your family is waiting for you. Do you want to make your parents sad?"

"No, but—" Yuuri trailed off. "Wolfram…"

"My fiancé is not so cruel!" Wolfram insisted. " _Go_!"

"It's your decision," Shori said abruptly as he watched his brother grow increasingly desperate. "If you want to stay, then stay. I won't force you to come back." He briefly considered staying himself, but he shook the idea away. There wasn't anything for him here anyway except his ability to use maryoku. He looked at Conrad again and reached out a hand, hesitating briefly before he pulled it back and went to stand next to the portal.

"I really love Shinma koku," Yuuri said. "At first I didn't think I'd be a good king, but… I'm happy here."

"Leave it to us," Gwendal said, smiling softly.

Josak ruffled his hair. "I really liked you, kiddo."

Huber bowed. "I will never forget your mercy, Your Majesty."

Yuuri looked at Conrad uncertainly. Conrad said, "Even if you go to a far away place, I'll continue to watch over you for as long as I live." His eyes flickered over to Shori, and he clearly read the message there: _Keep him safe for me._ Shori accepted the silent request with a nod of his head—it was his duty in the first place. He would be the only one on earth who could take care of Yuuri now. He had won against Shinma koku and the strange devotion Yuuri and his kingdom shared.

He wondered why it felt like such a hollow victory.

Yuuri smiled at them a final time and turned toward the portal. "See you." Wolfram screamed Yuuri's name as they walked toward the portal. Yuuri didn't turn around. "Farewell," he said, and vanished to earth.

I'm ready, Shori thought as he and Murata followed. If there was one good thing about being a supporting character, it was this: They didn't have to say good-bye.

*

After that, everything returned to normal. Yuuri played baseball and rode his bike and did things a normal teenager should do.

Shori continued his internship with Bob, played his dating sims and continued college. Bob asked him why he was still studying so hard to be the Maou of earth when the reason he first accepted was superfluous. Shori thought about the silent promise he made to Conrad and replied that his will to protect Yuuri hadn't changed, and that Bob should be satisfied with that.

Sometimes he would see Yuuri looking wistfully at the fountain in the park, and he wondered if his brother had made the right choice.

Sometimes he thought about what Conrad would have done if he had kissed him back, and wondered if he could have made a better one.

*

It was the middle of summer when Shori decided he needed a new dating sim to entertain himself, and he went to the gaming store to scope out the newest releases. He found a yaoi game shelved incorrectly with the normal dating sims and picked it up. He flipped it over to look at the back out of curiosity and was struck by a character drawn with warm brown eyes.

"Oh!" The sales girl exclaimed. Shori jumped guiltily. "You come in here so often—I was wondering when you'd get curious about BL!"

"No, I wasn't—this character," he pointed to the cover, "It just… reminded me of someone, that's all." He shook his head and set the game down. Picking up a BL game because it reminded him of Conrad Weller just told him that he was going insane. The next step would be staring off into space heaving wistful sighs and having sweaty, indecent dreams. Shori didn't want to do either. "Never mind. I don't think I want to get a game today. I'll buy a couple over the weekend."

Shori left the store and headed back home. It was crazy to think like this, especially when he wouldn't ever see the other man again. It was quite possible that he was thinking like this _because_ he wouldn't ever see the other man again.

He was just about to go up the stairs to his room when Yuuri and Murata burst through the front door. He turned around to yell at them about running through the house when he caught sight of Yuuri's smile, and felt his mouth move into an answering smile. "You went back, didn't you?"

Yuuri glowed. "How did you know?"

Shori rolled his eyes. "I'm your brother. I know this stuff." His hand tightened on the banister. "How is… everyone?"

Murata laughed. "They're all fine." He shot Shori an amused look as he went into the kitchen. "Conrad misses you, too."

Shori scowled. "That's none of your business, friend of my brother."

He headed up to his room, and as he closed his door, he heard Yuuri exclaim, "Why would Conrad miss Shori?"

Shori opened the door and shouted down to Yuuri, "I'm going with you next time!"

*

Shori inhaled water and coughed as he broke the surface of the fountain in the courtyard of Shinou's temple, Yuuri sputtering next to him. He could see the blurry lines of Wolfram and Conrad waiting for them and climbed out of the fountain, stumbling to a stop before Conrad as he pulled off his glasses to shake the water off. "We need to talk," he blurted out.

Conrad smiled fondly and tilted his head. "All right. Perhaps you should get into dry clothing first."

"And have dinner!" Yuuri said enthusiastically. "I'm _starving_!"

"Yes," Shori agreed, his sudden enthusiasm dampening. "Of course."

Drying off and having dinner before speaking to Conrad about whatever was going on between them had been the original plan, but after dinner Greta wanted to play catch with him, and after Greta got tired, Anissina claimed him as her assistant for her inventions, and after he managed to free himself from Anissina's clutches, Gunter cornered him in the hallway to gush about how wonderful it was that they were both in Shinma koku once again and that he hoped that now that the boxes were dealt with there would be a new era of companionship between the two worlds.

It was late when Shori finally managed to make his way to his room, and he barely had the energy to change into his pajamas before sleep claimed him.

*

It was the last day of his visit when Shori began to suspect that Conrad might be avoiding him. Conrad was always just leaving the room Shori was entering; he was busy helping Gwendal with affairs of the state; he was playing baseball in the field with Yuuri.

It was sheer luck that he stumbled onto Conrad when he did—Shori was exasperated with the entire thing and had gone outside to brood, and found Conrad training his regiment. After a moment of contemplation, he set himself out of the way and proceeded to watch him. Conrad was friendly with his soldiers, but kept himself distanced enough to maintain a clear chain of command. He listened to concerns and demonstrated difficult moves.

Shori felt like a stalker.

When the practice was over, Shori went to Conrad, who didn't appear surprised to see him. "Hello," Conrad said.

"Hello," Shori answered.

Conrad sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose it's time for our talk."

"That would be nice, considering you've avoided me the entire week." Shori answered coolly.

"As you can see, I just finished practice. Perhaps I can meet you later?"

"I'll give you an hour." Shori said. "We need to get this over with."

Conrad cast his eyes downward and nodded. "All right. I'll come to your room in an hour." Shori watched him walk away and fought the childish urge to throw something at his head, choosing instead to stalk away in the other direction.

Shori took a deep breath and crossed his arms as he made his way to his room, silently rehearsing the words he wanted to say. It couldn't be as simple as 'I missed you, and I'm sorry.' Nothing ever went that easy. Shori ran a hand through his hair. Perhaps Conrad had the right idea. It was so easy to think of what you wanted to say and do when you were far away from someone, but knowing that any moment you would be face to face with them, and that you'd have to say something or let the opportunity slip away… it terrified him.

He found himself pacing as he carefully counted the minutes, excitement and anxiety twisting his insides. He finally settled down with a book when Conrad entered.

"I'm early," Conrad said apologetically.

"It's all right," Shori said, setting his book aside. He stood up and tugged at his sleeves nervously.

"What was it that you wanted to say?" Conrad asked.

Shori was frozen. He could feel his heart beating into his throat, but he couldn't force a sound.

Conrad frowned in concern and took a step toward him. "Shori?"

"I…" Shori began. "It's your fault I'm like this!" He crossed his arms defensively over his chest and scowled.

Conrad blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"I wasn't going to come back," Shori said. "After all, what's there to talk about if you never see each other, right?" Conrad remained silent, and Shori continued. "This isn't normal. I can't stop thinking about you. I hate it."

Conrad's eyes softened. "You missed me?"

Shori focused his eyes on the lamp next to his bed. "I don't know why. We only ever talked when there was something bizarre happening, but then you kissed me and I barely remember what it felt like, but it's keeping me up at night. I dreamed about you before I came back. I wonder what would have happened if I…" Shori shot Conrad a betrayed look. "I looked at a BL sim because of you!"

"I apologize." Conrad said, but he had the beginning of a smile that belied his words. "It sounds traumatic."

"It was." Shori agreed, embarrassed by his tirade. "You should do something about it."

Conrad's smile widened, and he took a step toward Shori. "You have an odd way of saying you'd like me to kiss you again."

"I didn't say that!" Shori protested.

"Does that mean I'm wrong?" Conrad asked. He took advantage of Shori's silence to close the distance between them, his hand cupping the back of Shori's neck and pulling him forward. Conrad was exceedingly gentle, pressing his lips chastely against Shori's in a light caress. Shori allowed his eyes to close as Conrad kissed him again, tilting his head to get a better angle.

Conrad carefully removed Shori's glasses, and Shori watched as he set them on the table. "I can't see without them," he said. Conrad was close enough to be clear, but the rest of the room was blurred in various degrees.

"You won't need them," Conrad assured, "and I wanted the opportunity to do this." He pulled Shori close again, letting his hands caress Shori's jaw as he guided him into a better position. Kissing wasn't nearly as uncomfortable without his glasses, Shori realized, and he clenched a hand on Conrad's sleeve as he darted his tongue out to lick Conrad's lower lip.

Conrad hummed delightedly and parted his lips, deepening the kiss. It was warm and wet and Conrad didn't taste anything like Shori had imagined. It was easy to say someone tasted of chocolate or sweet as cream or any number of things, really, but Conrad didn't taste like anything at all. Conrad's tongue glided against his own, and Shori shivered, breathing a soft sound. One of Conrad's hands slipped down the line of his back, resting against the curve of his spine and urging him closer. Shori's hands kneaded Conrad's uniform, one hand remaining clenched in the sleeve and the other tentatively running over his shoulder. One kiss melted into several, and even though his lungs were beginning to ache, Shori didn't want to stop even one second to take a breath.

They eventually parted for air, and Conrad pressed a kiss to the underside of Shori's jaw, panting lightly. "We should stop."

"Why?" Shori asked breathlessly, tilting his head back to give Conrad better access.

"Because I need to stop while I still can." Conrad said, running his fingers leisurely up Shori's back.

"And… if I don't want you to stop?" Shori asked quietly, feeling a flush creep over his cheeks at being so forward. He unbuttoned Conrad's jacket and slipped his hands inside, fingers stroking along the lines and ridges of Conrad's muscles. He sighed at the warmth as he nestled closer, etching patterns against Conrad's back.

Conrad trembled and pressed his lips against Shori's temple. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"

Shori glared at Conrad. "Of course not! Who has time for girls when you have a precious younger brother to protect?"

Conrad laughed and ran a hand through Shori's hair. "You're not worried?"

"Should I be?" Shori asked before pressing his lips to the hollow of Conrad's throat.

"I'll be gentle," Conrad promised

Shori shot him another irritated look. "Did I ask you? I'm not a child. I can take it. Do what you want."

Conrad's eyes darkened, and he shoved Shori onto the bed. Shori sprawled out over the duvet and propped himself up on his elbows, watching as Conrad removed his jacket. Shori licked his lips as Conrad crawled onto the bed, straddling him and biting at his mouth. Shori gasped and wrapped his arms around Conrad's neck, pressing up against him. "I missed you," Conrad murmured against Shori's mouth between kisses. "No one looks at me like you do."

Shori laughed. "Malevolently?"

Conrad pulled away slightly, eyebrow quirking as he stared down at Shori. "Like you're waiting for the perfect opportunity to bite me." That was simply too good to resist, and Shori leaned up to bite hard at the junction between Conrad's shoulder and throat. Conrad moaned, and the sound sent a jolt of sensation directly to his cock. Shori made a small sound and squirmed beneath Conrad's weight.

"You're so impatient," Conrad said fondly, and thrust down. Shori clenched his eyes shut and wriggled again, wanting more contact. It all looked so easy in the H-scenes of his dating sims, but he was almost at his limit just by kissing. It was embarrassing. Then Conrad unwound Shori's arms from his neck and crossed them above Shori's head, holding his wrists in place with one hand as his other went for the buttons on Shori's shirt. He kissed a line down Shori's chest and continued downward, flipping the button on Shori's trousers.

"What are you—" Shori tugged against Conrad's grip. Conrad smiled and kissed Shori's collarbone.

"It's okay," Conrad whispered as he slid his hand into Shori's pants and wrapped his fingers around his cock.

"Ahh!" Shori cried out, clenching his eyes shut and turning his face to the side. He felt flushed and restless as he tried to yank his wrists out of Conrad's grasp, and he writhed as Conrad squeezed him. "Conrad!"

Conrad nuzzled Shori's throat, and Shori made a choking sort of growl as he canted his hips upward. Conrad wasn't bothering to remove Shori's trousers, and that made every movement short and tight, with just enough friction to keep him wound up and anxious but not nearly enough to push him over the edge.

Shori's eyes fluttered open, and he glared at Conrad, who was watching him with a look in his eyes that made Shori flush hotter. "Please," he gritted out, and Conrad smiled, twisting his hand in a way that must have hurt his wrist. Shori gasped, arching at the sensation, and clenched his hands into helpless fists. His eyes shut again as Conrad kissed him, and he cried out into Conrad's mouth as he climaxed.

Shori slumped back down on the bed bonelessly, trying to catch his breath and responding to Conrad's kiss, lazy and slow. It had all finished much faster than he'd anticipated, but he was too pleasantly warm at the moment to really care. Conrad pulled away from the kiss, releasing Shori's wrists and kissing Shori's fingertips gently before easing off him.

"Mmm?" Shori mumbled, rumpled and a little dazed. "Where are you going?"

Conrad smiled at him. "I'll be right back. There's something I forgot."

Shori sat up, forehead creased in puzzlement. "You're actually leaving?"

Conrad leaned over and kissed him. "Trust me," he said, and hurried out the door.

Shori scratched his head and flopped back down on the bed. His trousers were damp and starting to get sticky, so he sighed, kicking off his shoes and yanking his trousers off. He was in the process of removing his shirt when Conrad reappeared. Shori yelped in surprise and dove for the bed.

Conrad tilted his head and set a jar on the bedside table. "Are you all right?"

"I…" Shori blushed at how stupid he'd just been. "Yes."

"Good," Conrad said, watching Shori warily. "Do you want to continue?"

Shori didn't bother with an answer, placing a kiss at the open neck of Conrad's undershirt. He unbuttoned it carefully, lavishing licks and small bites on every inch he uncovered. Conrad shrugged out of his shirt and gently pushed Shori back, taking a moment to remove the rest of his clothes before joining Shori on the bed.

Shori felt absurdly shy, and reached out to trace the line of a pale scar. Conrad captured his hand and pulled him closer, turning his head and sucking red marks down Shori's neck. Shori followed Conrad's lead, licking up Conrad's jaw and biting his ear, his hands trailing over Conrad's chest. There was something strangely comfortable and intimate about taking the time to feel someone like this, touching and exploring without a rush. Shori discovered that Conrad hissed his breath out when Shori scraped his fingernails over his back; Conrad managed to find the one ticklish spot just above the jut of Shori's hip. Shori found himself obsessed with Conrad's mouth, unable to go more than a few seconds without kissing him, nibbling his lips swollen and swallowing Conrad's moans greedily. Conrad seemed entranced by the line of Shori's neck, nuzzling and sucking it often enough that Shori was positive he'd have quite a few marks to explain away the next day.

Conrad brushed back a strand of Shori's hair, and Shori noticed that he was shaking just a little. "Are you ready?"

Shori trailed his hands down Conrad's abdomen to grasp his cock and squeeze. Conrad dropped his head to Shori's shoulder, exhaling slowly. "I was ready a long time ago," Shori said with a smile. "I just wanted to hear you ask." Conrad yanked his head up, staring at Shori with a pained sort of exasperation. "I told you to do what you wanted, didn't I?"

"Unbelievable," Conrad shook his head, unable to stop a laugh.

"Come here," Shori said, and straddled Conrad's lap, breathing a moan as the movement brought their erections together. Conrad set a hand on Shori's hip, stretching to reach the jar that he'd left on the table. Shori took it from Conrad and opened it, looking at the contents. "I didn't even think about this," he confessed as he scooped up a liberal helping of lubricant.

"I know you didn't," Conrad agreed. "But I thought you might appreciate the courtesy."

"I get to do this next time, don't I?" Shori asked as he smoothed the lubricant over Conrad, squeezing and moving his hand up and down a couple of times to make sure Conrad was completely coated.

"If you'd like," Conrad said, and pushed a finger into Shori. Shori tensed at the uncomfortable sensation, but Conrad was right there to kiss him to distraction. After a few minutes, it wasn't as painful. The friction was making him heat up again, and he squirmed as Conrad's fingers twisted inside of him.

"Conrad!" Shori said, grabbing Conrad's shoulders as he pushed his hips against his fingers.

"Just a bit more," Conrad said, and then his fingers brushed over a spot that caused Shori to see white.

"Don't do that again!" Shori gasped. "That's too… I mean, I…"

"I understand," Conrad said, a smirk tilting the corner of his mouth. "I'm overwhelming you."

"Don't be so smug." Shori scowled. Conrad removed his fingers and positioned himself carefully at Shori's entrance. Shori pressed down slowly, allowing Conrad's hand on his hip to guide him. " _Oh_ ," Shori breathed as Conrad filled him. "Ow…"

"Are you okay?" Conrad asked, stopping immediately.

"I didn't tell you to stop!" Shori chided him. Conrad thrust again, and Shori closed his eyes. It burned, but that was already mostly fading as Conrad pulled back out. Shori arched his back, matching each thrust with one of his own, incoherent sounds only occasionally pushing their way past his lips. The entire world narrowed down to the smooth push and slide of Conrad inside of him, the heat of the contact between them, the way pleasure was gathering at the base of his spine that made him squirm for anything more—more speed, more friction, more of Conrad. Conrad pulled him down into a rough kiss, and pulled out of him. Shori whined, hands scrabbling for purchase on Conrad's chest.

The kiss turned into a roll, and Shori had just enough time to register that Conrad was on top of him before the next hard thrust. Shori yelped, having absolutely no idea what to do with his legs, just knowing that Conrad had a hand on his back, supporting him as he pushed in. Shori mewled pathetic little gasps as Conrad slammed into him again and again, barely taking the time to press Shori's leg to the mattress and pull the other over his shoulder and Shori didn't even know how it had become so hard so fast. He panted, shaking sweat from his eyes as words spilled out, things like _Conrad_ and _please_ and _Oh God_ , and he twisted up to bite at Conrad's mouth and dig his fingernails into the raised ridges of the scars on Conrad's back.

" _Shori_ " Conrad said, and Shori choked out a sob, his orgasm knocked out of him with his breath. Conrad collapsed on top of him, breath quick and hot against his shoulder, and Shori dragged his fingers through Conrad's hair, letting his leg fall from Conrad's shoulder into a more comfortable position.

Shori held onto Conrad until his own breathing slowed, and Conrad raised his head. "I'm sorry," Conrad apologized.

"Don't ruin the moment by being stupid," Shori complained, letting his head fall back onto the pillow as he traced aimless patterns against Conrad's shoulder. Conrad laughed softly and nodded, shifting his weight off of Shori and settling at his side. Shori shifted with him, finding nothing wrong with using Conrad as a pillow. "So." Shori said.

"So." Conrad answered, brushing his fingers through Shori's hair.

"I think I might love you. Is that okay?"

"I think I could be persuaded to accept your confession," Conrad laughed, and Shori elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm serious," Shori said. "What are we going to do?"

Conrad sighed. "The best that we can."

Shori sat up and looked down at Conrad. "That's a completely useless plan."

Conrad propped his chin on his hand. "What would you suggest?"

Shori pondered the question for a moment. "You should come work for me."

Conrad laughed and shook his head. "I have too many duties here that need my attention."

There was a knock at the door, and Shori jumped out of bed, plastering himself against the back of the door. The movement was uncomfortable—he was already getting sore. "Yes?"

"Hey, it's time to go home!" Yuuri's voice came through door clearly, and Shori winced as the doorknob turned. His face turned even more miserable as semen started trickling down his stomach. Conrad raised a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. "Are you ready to go?"

"No," Shori answered. His eyes fell on his ruined trousers, and he shot Conrad a baleful look. "I have to change. I… spilled something on my clothes."

"Oh, okay. I'll meet you at the fountain, all right? I've got to say good-bye to everyone."

Conrad got up and retrieved Shori's shirt from the floor, dipping it into the basin and carefully wiping himself down.

"All right," Shori held his breath as he heard his brother's steps retreat, and heaved a relieved sigh.

"You handled that admirably," Conrad said, as he tossed Shori the damp shirt and went to his closet.

Shori caught the shirt. "I certainly wasn't going to expose my brother to my homosexual love affair!" Shori protested, and raked a hand through his hair. "What am I doing?"

Conrad cleared his throat, and Shori looked at him desperately. "Your clothing, Shori." He gestured at the armchair, where he'd laid out the new outfit.

Shori stared at the armchair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Conrad said as he began to redress himself.

Shori took his time cleaning himself up and dressing, trying to use the few minutes to clear his head. Then he gathered his clothing together into a neat pile for the maids to wash when they cleaned the room. When he finished, he looked up to see Conrad watching him. "Conrad," he said hesitantly.

Conrad went over to Shori and kissed him. "It's time for you to go, Shori. I promise I'll be here waiting for you to come back."

Conrad's words gave him a strange sort of reassurance, and Shori made a face. "How can you say stuff like that with a straight face?" he asked as he left the room. Conrad didn't follow him, and after a moment, he stuck his head back in. Conrad was staring up at the ceiling with a rueful expression, as though he were appealing a higher power. "Are you coming or not?"

Conrad looked at him. "That's a silly question, isn't it?" he asked as he stepped out into the hall.

And really, it was.


End file.
